The Bovey Castle 18 Hole Championship Golf Course, Devon

October 10, 2018

The golf course at the 5 Red Star Bovey Castle Hotel is a challenging and beautiful 18-hole championship course, designed in 1926 by J F Abercromby, one of the finest British golf course designers of the last century.

When the course opened in 1930, it quickly gained national acclaim for its reputation as one of the most enjoyable places to play golf.

Designed to rival its sister courses at Gleneagles and Turnberry, our Bovey Castle golf course has been described as an experience of golf never to be forgotten, presenting the pure challenge of golf to professional and amateur alike. The course meanders through the hotel estate, surrounded by idyllic landscape and challenges to meet any handicap.

To understand the beauty, as well as the complexity of our golf course, we have created a step by step guide to each hole that accurately describes them:

Hole by Hole Flyover at Bovey Castle

Hole 1
This opening tee shot at Bovey Castle is inviting in the extreme, plunging down into the river valley onto a newly reshaped fairway and leaving a short shot across the River Bovey onto the green.
As the river is very much in play from the tee, it is wise to lay up with a long iron or a wood.

Hole 2
The 2nd is a treacherous hole where placement is everything. A dogleg to the left around a wood, it’s all too easy to over-shoot the fairway. Stay as tight to the left as possible to leave the best line into the green here at Bovey Castle, which again, is on the far side of the river.
Whilst not wanting to come up short, be sure not to over club as two pot bunkers await you.

Hole 3
The river again dominates the 3rd, although the lake around the green is actually an ornamental feature here in the Bovey Castle gardens. The green is sited on a natural promontory and is a target that is almost entirely surrounded by water.
The right half of the green is the side to aim. Here, there is a little more room than the view from the tee may suggest.

Hole 4
A classic hole in the heroic mould awaits you on the 4th here at Bovey Castle. The river catches the eye line from the tee and runs alongside the 4th fairway.
Bunkers and trees lurk on the far side of the fairway for those who take the cautious line, whilst the river awaits those who are over optimistic. The approach to the green is heavily bunkered so lay back to leave a full shot in.

Hole 5
The downhill tee-shot is an inviting one on the 5th here at Bovey Castle, although the trees to the left and right can easily encroach on the demanding second shot back over the River Bovey.

The less powerful may be well advised to lay up. If you do ‘go for it’ it’s wise to take one more club than the yardage suggests.

Hole 6
The 6th is an attractive downhill par three plying back across the river that runs through our magnificent Bovey Castle Golf Course. The green is angled, so that the back right portion is tucked behind the right-hand bunker. Shots to this section of the green need to fly the full distance, although the right to left wind and downhill shot makes this almost a club shorter than normal.

Hole 7
This famous (and equally infamous) hole has tantalised, infuriated and charmed golfers since its creation here at Bovey Castle. Sir Henry Cotton recognised its undoubted quality by listing it in his favourite 18 holes in Britain.
The river meanders in a dangerous fashion down the right. The green is a classic example of Abercromby’s flair for design.

Hole 8
The final river hole in one of the most daunting opening stretches of golf here at Bovey Castle. Here, the river nibbles in alongside the landing area and the green is set alongside a stream that winds all down the left hand side of the green and the approach.
The bold line from the tee will hug the left so that a shot up the length of the green is set up.

Hole 9
Newly restored from Abercromby’s original design, the 9th hole is a par 3 with a small green that is closely guarded by 6 treacherous bunkers. Choose your club wisely.

Hole 10
The 10th is the only par 5 on the back 9. It plays across a valley through a saddle in the hill here at Bovey Castle… leaving a second shot across another valley. Players laying up need to be wary of the ditch at the bottom of the hill.
Players going for the green in 2 must carry the 3 big bunkers short of the green.

Hole 11
This is a superb par 4 with a dramatic approach across our lake-filled, Bovey Castle valley. Any shot even slightly short of the green is likely to roll back down into trouble. Many should lay up, but even this leaves a demanding pitch to an elevated green.
Take plenty of club on this shot as well, because it predominantly plays into the wind.

Hole 12
The final short hole may be the hardest of them all. From the back tee, it is frighteningly tight with an angled green guarded by a deep front bunker. The prospect from the forward tee is a little less daunting, but still calls for a deceptively long uphill shot.
It is certainly better to be long than short, as the back of the green is free of bunkers.

Hole 13

The 13th provides possibly the first light relief of the round and is in range from the tee for the longer players. Bunkers hug the left hand side of the fairway for the last 100yards and any shot destined for the green must flirt with them. The green is on 2 levels so an accurate approach is essential to create a birdie opportunity. The right side of the green runs off quickly, so it is usually better to aim a little left with the approach shot.

Hole 14
Another short par 4 through a narrow gap in the trees, the 14th is a fun hole, rewarding accuracy rather than raw power. The bunker in the fairway is the line, everyone having to decide how to carry or circumnavigate it.
More powerful players will drive straight over it and may well reach the green, although the green’s cunning undulations make putting a challenge.

Hole 15
This hole swings to the left around a dense stand of fir trees. The ideal line is to stay on the left half of the fairway making the approach shot shorter. On a course where most of the greens are small, this hole differs
by providing a generous target, but it is elevated. Take plenty of club, especially if the flag is cut behind the bunker.

Hole 16
If conditions are firm and fast, stay right of the marker post but be careful to avoid the bunkers. Longer players may fancy hitting it to the right, but this leaves an awkward angle to approach the green.
A running approach shot is often a good idea to this small green. Anything over the green is not easy, so it is better to be a little on the short side.

Hole 17
The key to the 17th hole is choosing the right line from the tee. For the longer players straight over the top of the highest tree, whilst the shorter player should hug the right of the copse. Once over the hill, the green is an inviting target, but testing to hit from a downhill lie.

Hole 18
This hole requires a drive up around the bunkers if the green is to be in view for the second shot. Drives hugging the left will leave a shorted second, but will be blind with the approach to the green tilting sharply from left to right.

Bovey Castle also offers a fully-equipped club house, driving range, golf academy and brasserie for pre and post-match meals and snacks to complement the golf course.

If you would like more information about our golf course, or golf holiday offers to play the course at Bovey Castle, please contact the golf team on 01647 445009 or email golf@boveycastle.com.

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